Independence Day 2016: India will never bow before terrorism, says PM Modi

Independence Day 2016: Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered the 70th Independence Day speech at Red Fort in Delhi today. Slamming recent terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, Modi said India would never bow before terrorism. Evoking patriotism, Modi said we may not get an opportunity to die for the country but we have the opportunity to live for the country.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Independence Day 2016 speech spoke of how his government is working with the RBI to bring down inflation to 4% levels. “When my government took over, inflation rate was plus 10%. Now we have brought it down drastically. We have not let it cross levels of 6%,” PM Modi said. “We are now working with the RBI to bring inflation in the 4%, plus-minus 2% range. We are rising above the discussion of inflation versus growth and are working to ensure that prices do not rise above a certain level,” he added.

This is Modi’s third Independence Day speech as the Prime Minister. Ahead of the speech, PM Modi tweeted, “Happy Independence Day. Jai Hind!”.

You can watch the live telecast below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qU9hXIOoZ4s

Here are LIVE updates of Independence Day 2016: 

11.35 am: President Pranab Mukherjee pays homage at Amar Jawan Jyoti.

10.00 am: Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi unfurls the tricolour at AlCC Headquarters. While LK Advani unfurls the tricolour at his residence.

9.08 am: Prime minster Narendra Modi ends his speech with chants of Vande Mataram

9.07 am: We did not get an opportunity to die for the country but we have the opportunity to live for the country: PM Modi

9.06 am: SAARC countries have a common problem – poverty. I call upon all to come together and fight poverty, not each other. There cannot be a bigger independence than freedom from poverty.

9.05 am: To the youth who have taken up gun, I urge them to return to their parents, shun violence: PM Modi at the Red Fort

PM Narendra Modi’s speech on Independence Day 2016: It is time to transform from Swarajya to Surajya

9.02 am: This is the example of our humanitarian approach, but there are some countries who glorify terrorists: PM Modi

9.01 am: People of Balochistan, Gilgit and PoK have thanked me a lot in past few days, I am grateful to them: PM Modi

9.00 am: Violence has no place in our society. Many innocents were killed in Peshawar terrorist attack (Pakistan), but there were tears in everyone’s eyes in the Parliament here: PM Modi

8.58 am: This country will never bend before terrorism: PM Modi at Red Fort

8.56 am: ‘Unity in Diversity’ is the whole essence of Indian culture. There is no place for violence and atrocities, here: PM Modi

Rail tickets, passports, jobs: PM Modi highlights steps taken by his government in Independence Day 2016 speech

8.55 am: More than 35000 jawans have lost their lives fighting at border so that we can stay peacefully here, how can we forget them?: PM Modi

8.54 am: We took OROP (One Rank, One Pension) head on: Modi

8.52 am: Hum talna nahi, takrana jante hain, says Modi (We don’t believe in procrastination)

8.51 am: Yes there are problems, but we have to rise above and fight such anti-social elements. Only then we’ll be able to progress in real sense. Great leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Ambedkar ji have always stressed on the need for social unity. All citizens have to do this, else India can’t progress. A strong society can only be built on social justice: PM Modi

8.51 am: Only financial growth is not important, social unity is also important. 125 cr people of India are part of one family: PM Modi

8.50 am: We have worked to achieve “One nation, one grid and one price”: PM Modi

8.48 am: The electricity that used to be Rs 10 per unit has come down to little over Rs 1 in many places like Telangana, PM Modi

8.47 am: More than 3.5 crore families have taken benefit of the MUDRA scheme. We have instated a 26-week maternity leave for all pregnant women, says PM Modi

8.45 am: Financial independence of Women and her participation is important to fight poverty: PM Modi

8.44 am: We have improved our rankings in ease of doing business rapidly. We have left many countries behind in GDP growth. The GST bill that was just passed will go a long way in India’s reform. All parties deserve credit for it: PM Modi

8.43 am: Amidst global economic slow-down, Indian economy is growing: PM Modi

8.43 am: GST will give strength to our economy and all parties are to be thanked for its passage, says PM Narendra Modi

8.42 am: We are trying to revive ‘post-offices’ in the country which is becoming irrelevant increasingly due to advent of technology: PM Modi

8.41 am: Out Govt is giving importance to ‘last man delivery’ by taking decisions decisively as our policies and intentions are clear: PM Modi

8.40 am: When new Govt is elected, many-a-times, good initiatives taken by the previous Govt are forgotten. But we did not let this happen, we have taken forward the good initiatives taken by the previous Govt

8.38 am: There used to be allegations on coal block auctions. Today it is completely transparent

8.37 am: Air India, that used to be much maligned, is operating in profit today. While every telecom company in the world flourished, BSNL used to run in losses. Today, BSNL too has turned an operating profit. Earlier there used to be so much corruption, people who did not exist used to benefit from social schemes. We have removed that now

8.36 am: 90 shut irrigation schemes will be revived; 77,000 solar pumps distributed to bring down input cost of farmers. Food godowns with 15 lakh ton capacity have been built; The emphasis is on food processing, and the aim is to help double farmers’ income by 2022: PM Modi

8.35 am: Today, as we talk of soil health cards, we also work on satellites. Reform, perform and transform is the mantra of my government. There were thousands of plans which had fallen cold, we have revived them. We value substance over symbolism, integrated development over isolated development, and empowerment over entitlement: PM Modi

8.32 am: “I have done my best to keep corruption away from my government. We have brought transparency to the transformation. We have prioritised the image of the nation over the image of the government”, says PM Modi

8.28 am: We are giving importance to Integrated development against Isolated development, empowerment against entitlement: PM Modi

8.27 am: That’s why my govt has given importance to save water. We have given impetus to ‘per drop, more crop’ initiative. We have been blessed with monsoon, this year. Sowing has therefore increased, this will help us meet demand shortfall: PM Modi

8.25 am: Narendra Modi’s Independence Day speech 2016: We have not let inflation cross 6% levels, says PM

8.22 am: Our farmers have come forward to solve the Dal crisis. We have announced bonuses and schemes for this. They have sown 1.5 times the usual quantity of Dal. We have taken up schemes of water conservation, irrigation in a big way: PM Modi

8.20 am: Fasal Bima Yojana scheme for our farmers: PM Modi.

8.19 am: If farmers in my country get adequate water, they can turn ‘soil’ into ‘gold’: PM Modi

8.18 am: Under the previous Govt, inflation had crossed 10 %. We did not let it rise above 6%: PM Modi

8.17 am: We want to distribute 77 crore more LED bulbs. I urge you all to use LED bulbs, save energy and take part in helping our nation. Renewable energy is a focus area for our government. Save energy and take part in helping our nation.: PM Modi

8.16 am: Due to drought situation in the last 2 years, Govt has faced challenges in terms of price rise: PM Modi

8.16 am: How can we forget the bravery and sacrifice of the Sikh Gurus. We celebrating the 350th anniversary of Guru Govind Singh. He used to say that the hands that have never served, the hands that have not been used for hard work, I cannot consider them sacred: PM Modi

8.15 am: We can contribute a lot to curb global warming by using LED bulbs and saving energy: PM Modi

8.12 am: In 2014, more than 18,000 villages did not have electricity. When we came to power, we decided that they must get electricity within a thousand days. Not even half the time has passed and 10,000 villages have got electricity already.

8.10 am: We are working to bring in social change. In my first Independence Day speech I had asked how we can tackle the huge problem of sanitation in our country. In such little time, we have built 2 crore toilets, more than 70,000 villages are open defecation free: PM Modi

8.09 am: We have connected 70 crore Indians to Aadhaar and social security schemes: PM Modi

8.08 am: In the last 60 years, 14 crore people got cooking gas connections. Under our government, 4 crore people have got the connections in just 60 weeks.

8.05 am: The work of village roads started under Atal Behari Vajpayee ji, we have taken that forward. Earlier, we used to make 70-75 kms of roads in a day. Today we make over 100 kms in a day.

8.01 am: There was a time when getting a passport was a tedious process and needed strong references. We have changed this. Now one can avail passport in a week, have eased processes: PM Modi

8.00 am: Renewable energy is a focus area for us. We take renewable and clean energy very seriously. Before our government, we used to lay 30,000-35,000 km in transmission lines in a year. Today our government lays 50,000 km in transmission lines per year. PM Modi

7.58 am: There was a time when govt was surrounded by allegations but now the govt is surrounded by expectations: PM Modi

7.57 am: Every rural person wants good roads. Former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s endeavour was to ensure good roads in the villages.

7.55 am: We must move towards Good Governance

7.54 am: We want to change the situation where people are scared of income tax authorities, particularly among middle class families: PM Modi

7.53 am: Today, in all the major Govt hospitals, online registration is available and medical records are also available online: PM Modi

7.51 am: For this, one needs to give importance to good governance, accountability: PM Modi

7.50 am: Transparency in any govt is paramount. I want to change the situation, and I’m trying to do so: PM Modi

7.49 am: Surajya, the meaning of this is- a qualitative and positive change in the lives of the citizen of India: PM Modi

7.48 am: It is easy to keep account of the work done by the Govt, but it is difficult to have in-depth knowledge of those initiatives. Today, more than Karya, I want to talk about Karya Sanskriti of the Government: PM Modi

7.46 am: In the last 2 years, we have initiated many schemes. We have tried to bring a change. And I would like to draw your attention to the efforts done by our government: PM Modi

7.44 am: India faces a lot of challenges,today but I believe that 125 cr ppl of India have the ability to face and over come this challenges: PM Modi

7.43 am: The onus is on 125 cr ppl of India to convert this ‘Swaraj’ into ‘Surajya’: -PM Modi

7.42 am: We if have struggles, then we have 1.25 billions to come up with solutions: PM Modi

7.41 am: India’s age is not 70 years, but the journey post-colonial rule for a better India is 70-year old-PM Modi at Red Fort: PM Modi

7.40 am: We didn’t attain our independence just like that. Every Indian was a soldier in that that struggle to free this nation. Some of them didn’t get the chance to go to jail or become martyrs, but every Indian was a part of India’s struggle: PM Modi

7.39 am: Ek bharat, shresht bharat sapna pura karne ka hume prayaas karna hoga: PM Modi

7.38 am: We remember Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel, Pandit Nehru, countless people who sacrificed their lives so that we attained Swarajya: PM Modi

7.37 am: May this energy guide the nation to scale newer heights of progress in the years to come: PM Modi

7.34 am: Modi greets the nation from the Red Fort

7.34 am: PM Narendra Modi addresses the nation

7.33 am: BSF exchanges sweets with Border Guards Bangladesh(BGB) in Agartala

7.30 am: PM Modi unfurls national flag.

7.23 am: Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar tweeted out his wishes for the Independence Day

7.22 pm: PM Modi inspects the Guard of Honour, will make his way through the Lahore Gate, from where flag hoisting will take place.

7.17 am: PM Modi has reached the Red Fort.

7.13 am: Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Chief Justice of India T S Thakur at the Red Fort

7.12 am: Former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, his wife Gursharan Kaur at the Red Fort

7.09 am: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reached Raj Ghat to pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi

7.02 am: Rahul Gandhi to hoist National Flag at Congress Bhawan

7.00 am: Rajnath Singh unfurls National flag at his residence

6.58 am: LG Najeeb Jung, Amit Shah, CM Arvind Kejriwal and Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad at the Red Fort, PM to speak shortly

6.51 am: Happy Independence Day. Jai Hind!: PM Modi greets nation via twitter

6.50 am: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will soon hoist the national flag and deliver Independence Day speech

The Prime Minister had invited suggestions from people on the topics that his speech should touch on. The speech usually highlights the government’s achievements in the past year. Modi has in the past spoken on various schemes of his government like Make in India, Swachh Bharat, Startup India, among others. The Prime Minister hoisted the national flag before beginning his address. Very heavy security arrangements are in place with some 45,000 personnel deployed across the city. A ground-to-air security apparatus was in place around the Red Fort. Areas within a five-kilometre radius of the Red Fort are being covered by about 9,000 security personnel from Delhi Police, paramilitary forces and the National Security Guard (NSG).